R.H. HUME Fun Bonspiel
Stettler County will play host to councils from around the area in an upcoming curling tournament.
During their Feb. 14 meeting, council voted to host the upcoming R.H. Hume Memorial curling bonspiel at the Stettler Curling Club. The event now in it’s 57th year, is named after R.H. Hume, who was a former mayor of Camrose.
Over time it has grown to include Beaver County, Camrose County, Flagstaff County, Lacombe County, Leduc County, Ponoka County, Stettler County and the County of Wetaskiwin. Hosting duties are rotated between counties each year, and offers an opportunity for councils across the region to network.
Council passed a motion to plan the bonspiel, and authorized a council team and a staff team to take part on Thursday, March 15.
Councillor Vehicle Use
During their last regular meeting on Feb. 14, council had a discussion over whether councillors can use County of Stettler vehicles. The County did not have a policy allowing it, as councillors are reimbursed for their personal vehicles.
The issue arose after Councillor James Nibourg asked why Reeve Larry Clarke and Councillor Ernie Gendre used a County vehicle to attend a recent Ag. Services Board meeting in Grande Prairie. The Reeve and Councillor explained they were trying to save on costs by carpooling, and also brought along two County staff members to the conference.
Councillors are not considered employees of the County as they cannot be disciplined by administration, which led to questions of what this could do to the County’s insurance if an incident were to occur. After the discussion, council passed a motion to develop a policy barring councillors from using County vehicles.
Botha Services
County Council received a citizen’s request asking for new services for the Hamlet of Botha. The former village was amalgamated into the County in September of 2017, following a vote by residents in the community earlier in the year.
Garbage pick-up and a daily bus service from Botha to Stettler were the top requests, along with a ‘slow down’ sign for 50th Avenue, and topsoil for lawns in the hamlet that were not fixed up after utility servicing.
Administration recommended that the signage could be handled through a ratepayer request form, while the other three requests need to be deliberated through budget discussions if council proceeded.
Council passed a motion to install signage on 50th Avenue, and to fill in the requested topsoil, at an undetermined cost. Council will also investigate the cost of garbage pick-up and a daily bus service to bring back for future consideration.
2018 Stettler Trade Show
The County of Stettler will not sponsor a booth for this year’s Stettler Trade Show. During their last regular meeting, a motion authorizing the County to attend the Trade Show was defeated.
The cost to attend is estimated to be between $6,000 & $8,000 for a 20x20 booth, staff wages, council per-diems and giveaways. Council talked about attending next year after developing a new strategic plan.
The Stettler Trade Show is happening April 13-15 at the Stettler Recreation Centre.
landin.chambers@stettlerindependent.com
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